Video: Brazilian cyclist drafts lorry... at 124 kilometres an hour

What a strange little man

Not that fast: most pro riders travel at those speeds without a massive truck windbreak in front of them. Even I've clocked 100kph on descent smooth down hill Tarmac.

I doubt they could pedal this fast and stay in control. So I think most of the vid is under 80KPH. Only on that downhill would they be able to do the 124KPH.

How fast will I be going at 90-210 rpm in these gears?

 Cadence Gear  90       100      110     120     130    140     150     160     170     180     190      200      210
53x11                     33.94 37.71 41.48 45.25 49.03 52.80 56.57 60.34 64.11 67.88 71.65 75.42 79.19 53x11

and the bus has # 124 ... but it's real, and Evandro Portela has his eye on the World Record too

Impressive, but I'm pretty sure I have been drafted by cars much closer than that.

(Though maybe not at 80mph)

A bit more information here:

"Evandro Luiz PORTELA tested positive for the use of Phentermine and Stanozolol in the Volta do Estado de São Paulo, in March 2006. Because this was his second doping rules violation, after a positive test for Anabolica in 2002, he was suspended for life by the UCI in July 2006. "

He has used substances with a tendency to increase aggression. And he has been banned from racing. So maybe he wants to ride a bike and get some kicks...

Also see Metallica free version of this video here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtPCs4G7-7c

and a couple of other videos of him
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkMwQZLn1sA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCXe9svyO0c (with camera on lorry)

Ok, it is Evandro Portela.

BTW, 124 kph is likely for the few moments when he is really twiddling it.

Ok, it is Evandro Portela.

BTW, 124 kph is likely for the few moments when he is really twiddling it.

They aren't doing 124 kph.

I hope they wear a base layer in case they fall!

There's several uploads of this guy on You Tube. One of them has a gang hammering down the hard shoulder as he passes them. Totally unreal.

Now, if anybody with Portuguese can provide a translation, that would be very nice...Also the names of the guys.

I would have thought 175 cracks a bit too long for his super fast twiddling at the max speed - looked like he was at about 130 rpm.

In my foolish youth a trio of us would very occasionally draft lorries going up the Hendon Way. We knew the road, did it for no more than a few hundred metres, and never went above 30 - 40 mph.

There is a story that in the late 50s early 60s, during the London-Bath-London 200 mile reliability trial, which went down the A4, the fast men would draft and occasionally overtake lorries, which had a speed limit then of 40 mph. Not many cars about and the lorry drivers were (supposedly) sympathetic.

I'm also pretty sure I saw a very well known time triallist drafting a lorry on the A1(M) in the early 80s.

The guy actually mentions the crankset he is using during the video - at a certain point he shouts: "55x11!!"

Jaw-dropping stuff, not least the tekkers in bunny-hopping/one-handed/no-handed at the sort of speed. But cycling on the motorway? F**k that!

road.cc wrote:

The video’s description on YouTube doesn’t give too much away, but it does pin the language down to Portuguese.

Brazilians speaking Portuguese? Who'd have thunk it...

Well call me a big yellow chicken but I have never drafted nor would I ever draft another vehicle, and I think the people who do it are maniacs! (Just to add some balance to the road.cc comments section.)

brilliant - the driver was obviously in on it - but that takes some huge ballons

I actually know these guys! They are a group of Elite riders who train together and are very good at this. It is not a one time fluke!

Good to know they were close to Martin`s record. If I am not mistaken they use a 175 crank with 55x11s.

They are speaking Portugese - they are bolas not cojones! Still blwdy big, though.

It's not so much the speed as I am sure there are many of us who have done this in the past, maybe at much faster speeds it's just we didn't have cameras to record it. It's the fact that he attaches the camera to the back of the lorry and films himself one handed? That's the dangerous bit.

This is the 2nd article I have seen on Road CC that shows riders drafting. Will we be getting a "how to draft" article soon My recommendations would be the A1 near Stamford nice down hill section there to get in behind lorries, potential for drafting above 60mph or in the South West the dual carriage way near Honiton lends it self to potential drafting at around 50- 70mph.

Of course not all idea drafting roads are dual carriage ways. Shoreham to Brighton has many buses braking the speed limit and it is relatively easy to get in behind them although not recommended if you aren't responsive to sudden stops of the bus.

Or should we all be condemning this as highly irresponsible riding someone is going to come a cropper soon doing this.

Plus one of the guys wasn't wearing a helmet in this video

Nutz.

A truck travelling at 124kmh!

Reminds me of that scene from Breaking Away.

I like that he bunny hops the white lines for safety, seriously talented.

What a pair of guys, top top riding absolutely loved it, crazy stuff but hey respect !!

Can only applaud and reel my jaw back in. He must be uncomfortable sitting on his bike with his massive balls.

Slightly sceptical about the top speed. By the Gift of Sheldon, 77mph on 53-11 on 23mm tyres is a cadence of over 200.

Mad though. Chance of being killed by a pothole or a dead badger very high.

Brilliant!! I thought I did well once behind a manure tractor!......never again

Cajones. Big cajones...

Pah! If he was that good, he would've overtaken the truck...
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¡Con dos cojones!